Near-field liquid phase probing method with dynamic optical phase detection for autonomous search for 1 nm particulate contamination

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18668
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 18:Mechanics of materials, production engineering, design engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Satoru 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 教授 (30283724)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 門屋 祥太郎 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 助教 (60880234) ; 道畑 正岐 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 准教授 (70588855)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 異物検出 / ナノ欠陥 / ナノ異物 / 表面欠陥

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We propose and develop a new optical system for the measurement of nanoparticle defects on ultra-smooth surfaces, which is physically limited by the light scattering detection principle conventionally applied in semiconductor processes.
Specifically, the mechanical and optical interactions in the near-field between the nanoparticle defects and the liquid-phase interface of volatile inert solvent droplets on the substrate are acquired using far-field optical system.
In this research project, the application of a new concept of high sensitive dynamic phase detection was proposed. In order to verify the feasibility of the proposed concept, we developed the fundamental experiment system, and verified its high sensitivity performance quantitatively.

Free Research Field

光製造科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今日，高性能半導体デバイスを高い信頼性をもって生産することは，持続的社会の実現にあたり，ますます重要となっている．半導体デバイスの高性能化のためには，配線パタンの微細化が必要となり，そのためには，半導体デバイスの基板となるベアSiウエハ表面上のナノスケールの異物管理が不可欠となっている．本研究成果は，従来困難だったベアSiウエハ表面上のナノスケール欠陥の検出可能性を示唆するものであり，大きな社会的意義を有する．